Phosphate: new option for areas with water restrictions

Using MICROLOK? MZN with the Near-Zero? Water Recycler and Ion Exchange, water consumption is reduced by 99 percent. For zinc phosphate users in water-restricted areas, this is a major improvement – it means they can continue critical metal finishing operations while observing tight water guidelines.

The Near-Zero Water Recycling System is useful in areas where restrictions have been imposed due to water shortages, or where normal city water and sewer services are not easily accessed. For example, in rural shops on septic systems, in sewer districts that restrict total water volume, or in plants where the blackening line is located in a warehouse without water/sewer hookups. In all these cases, the Near-Zero Water Recycling System can be installed on a new MICROLOK? MZN Zinc Phosphate line, or on an existing line as a retrofit, and can make the difference between successful in-house zinc phosphatizing and no processing at all.

Birchwood Technologies’ system utilizes a combination of Ion Exchange and Near-Zero Water Recycler with its proprietary MICROLOK? MZN Zinc Phosphate product. The resulting zinc phosphate coating forms a friable, sacrificial surface treatment that improves break-in lubricity of mating/sliding surfaces such as piston/cylinder assemblies, gears, bearings and similar components. In addition, the process is effective for eliminating galling of critical threaded parts that must withstand repeated break-in cycles to function properly in the field.

The process line layout is as follows:

* PRESTO KLEEN? alkaline soak cleaner: 160 degrees F; 10 minutes.

* Double Water Rinse, treated by NEAR ZERO Water Recycler.

* Firefly